Geranium plant named ‘Dueceline’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal  Geranium  plant named ‘Dueceline’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely and early flowering habit; and dark pink-colored single flowers with red-colored spots.

Botanical denomination: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Cultivar designation: ‘Dueceline’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of ZonalGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueceline’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new freely and early flowering ZonalGeraniums with attractive flower and foliage colors.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in May, 1998, of a proprietary selection ofPelargonium×hortorum identified as code number F-21-19, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofPelargonium×hortorum identified as code number F-01-10, not patented, asthe male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Dueceline was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny fromthis cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germanyin May, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingsat Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2003, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Zonal Geranium are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueceline’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dueceline’ as a new cultivar and distinguish itfrom other known Zonal Geranium cultivars:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Freely and early flowering habit.    -   4. Dark pink-colored single flowers with red-colored spots.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the newZonal Geranium are more compact. In addition, plants of the new ZonalGeranium and the female parent selection differ in flower coloration.Compared to plants of the male parent selection, plants of the new ZonalGeranium differ in flower color. In addition, plants of the new ZonalGeranium are stronger than plants of the male parent selection.

The new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivarGentana, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inRheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differed fromplants of the cultivar Gentana in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had larger leaves and        shorter leaf petioles than plants of the cultivar Gentana.    -   2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had larger umbels and larger        flowers than plants of the cultivar Gentana.    -   3. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had more flowers per umbel        than plants of the cultivar Gentana.    -   4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium and the cultivar Gentana        differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Gentana did        not have red-colored spots.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium. The photograph comprisesa side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dueceline’grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Dueceline has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and nighttemperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles.Plants were grown in 10.5-cm containers. Plants were pinched once aboutthree weeks after planting. Plants were about eight weeks from unrootedcuttings when the photograph and the detailed botanical description weretaken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Dueceline.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum            identified as F-21-19, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum            identified as F-01-10, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C.            Winter: About 7 days at 20° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About three weeks at 20° C.            Winter: About four weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading            and rounded plant habit; densely foliated.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely            branching, about three lateral branches per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 23 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Internode length:            About 1 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:            About 6 cm. Width: About 7.7 cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex:            Rounded. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate. Venation pattern:            Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,            upper surface: 137B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,            lower surface: 138B. Venation, upper surface: 138B.            Venation, lower surface: 144B. Zonation pattern: Not            observed. Petiole: Length: About 5.4 cm. Diameter: About            2.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement.—Dark pink-colored single flowers with            red-colored spots arranged in rounded hemispherical umbels            arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above and            beyond the foliage on peduncles. Flowers rounded in form.            Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not            fragrant.        -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; at full flower,            plants have about eight flower umbels with about 25 to 30            flowers per umbel.        -   Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring until the            autumn. Plants begin flowering about eight weeks after            planting.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on            the plant.        -   Umbel size.—Diameter: About 10 cm. Height: About 6.5 cm.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height): About            1.8 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 144A.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five or six. Length:            About 2.8 cm. Width: About 1.9 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:            Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; sinuate. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and            fully opened, upper surface: 68B; spots, 46C; towards the            base, close to 69B to 69C; main color becoming closer to 68C            with development. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: 68B to 68C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five arranged in a single            whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 3.4 mm. Shape:            Elongated, tapering. Apex: Apiculate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 144A.        -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 12.8 cm. Diameter:            About 1.5 cm. Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture: Smooth; glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 4.3 cm.            Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: Mostly erect. Strength:            Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A overlain            with 59B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower:            About ten. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Ovate.            Anther color: 43C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:            28A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil            length: About 1.2 cm. Stigma shape: Five-parted,            star-shaped. Stigma color: 66C. Style length: About 3.5 mm.            Style color: 67D. Ovary color: Close to 144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal    Geraniums.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been    observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 5 to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named‘Dueceline’, as herein illustrated and described.